1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a gasket particularly suitable for disposition between a cylinder head and a fuel injector in an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art is replete with gaskets for disposition between a fuel injector and the bore of a cylinder head in an internal combustion engine. The combustion chamber of the cylinder into which the fuel injector supplies fuel creates high temperatures and high pressures that are subjected to the interface between the injector and the bore of the cylinder head in which it is disposed. Various configurations of gaskets are used to seal this gap and examples are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,038,456 to Dresin, U.S. Pat. No. 5,785,024 to Takei et al and U.S. Pat. No. 6,334,433 to Sumida et al.
In order to obtain the desired sealing characteristics, it has been the practice to apply a relatively high clamping force on the injector to urge the injector against the gasket. However, this high clamping load facilitates the transmission of vibration and noise from the injector. Accordingly, it is an ongoing objective to maximize the resistance to high temperature with a reduction in the transmission of noise and vibration under relatively low clamping loads while providing adequate sealing.